Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

Research in Polymer Science and Engineering is of enormous global importance and is of strategic importance for many industries in Canada.  Developments in polymers continue to be of key national  areas of strategic research namely: energy usage, biomedical applications, oil recovery and nanotechnology.  As a first time applicant for NSERC funds, I propose to carry out research in the production of water soluble polymers that will have utility in specialty applications with enormous relevance to Canada, for example: enhanced oil recovery, flocculation in waste treatment, coatings, biomedical devices, pharmaceutical release and water soluble gels.  The research will study methods of production for these polymers in relation to their physical and chemical properties. Polymer structures at the molecular level are important predictors of physical and chemical properties (solubility, flow behaviour, strength, and processability) that determine the ultimate end use for a polymeric material.  One of the most important indicators of polymeric structure is the molecular weight distribution (MWD) which is related to the statistical make up of chains with different lengths within samples of polymer.  Chromatographic methods such as gel permeation- or size exclusion- chromatography (GPC or SEC) are the best methods for evaluating MWD and molecular weight averages.  In order to properly analyze the water soluble polymers produced in the proposed research, I require dedicated chromatographic equipment with associated detectors.  The equipment will also be a centre point for collaborative research projects within the Institute of Polymer Research and the Department of Chemical Engineering as a whole.  The presence of the equipment will also allow for excellent opportunities for the training of HQP in the use of state of the art analytical equipment in this exciting area of research.